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Kenyan

Maharagwe (coconut bean stew)

Vegetarian

Maharagwe ya nazi

Red kidney beans simmered in a creamy coconut sauce with tomato, onion, garlic and a gentle curry warmth. A comforting Swahili-coast staple served with rice or chapati.

Maharagwe (coconut bean stew) is a Kenyan stew, ready in about 35 minutes and made with kidney beans (canned) and coconut milk. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
Bowl of red beans simmered in coconut sauce
Photo: saM Fumbwani / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
438

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Soften the onion (opens in a new tab) in the oil, then add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, curry powder (opens in a new tab) and turmeric (opens in a new tab) and stir for a minute.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and cook until soft and jammy.

    • 5 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the beans, coconut milk (opens in a new tab), chilli and salt. Simmer gently, stirring now and then, until thick and creamy.

    • 13 min
    • low heat

    Don't boil hard — coconut milk can split.

  4. Step 4

    Scatter with cilantro (opens in a new tab) and serve.

      Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
      How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Swahili coast · Commonly attributedEaten along the Kenyan and Tanzanian coast and beyond.Also popular in Kenya, Tanzania
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Curries · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Simmered, Stewed
    Taste
    creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced, mild
    Diet
    Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Budget-friendly · One-pot · Everyday · Freezer-friendly
    Cook more with
    Kidney beans (canned) · Coconut milk · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Tomato
    Techniques
    Simmering · Stewing

    Allergens

    • May contain: Mustardfrom curry powder
    • May contain: Celeryfrom curry powder

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    438 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 323 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 11%
    • Carbohydrate 31%
    • Fat 58%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy438 kcal135 kcal
    Protein12.8 g4 g
    Carbohydrate35.7 g11 g
    Net carbohydrate——
    Sugars——
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre——
    Fat29.7 g9.2 g
    Saturated fat19.7 g6.1 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium878 mg272 mg
    Salt equivalent2.2 g0.7 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    777 mg
    Calcium
    108 mg
    Iron
    5.7 mg
    Magnesium
    96 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    —
    Vitamin C
    13 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    63 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: green chilli, coriander leaves.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Mash a few beans against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce.

    Common mistakes

    • Boiling hard after adding the coconut milk — it splits.

    Serve with

    • Serve with chapati, coconut rice (wali wa nazi) or ugali.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months.

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently with a splash of water.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 2, 3

    Masalas in this recipe

    Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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